550 Pilot's lounge

ladykate · Mar 7, 2014

FangsCPO said:
Question.....when you guys balance your props are you shaving/sanding away prop material or using tape? If so, what kind of tape is best and how should it be placed. Photos would be great. Thanks!

I haven't balanced my props. I've added cushioning for a slight (very slight) jello on my P1. I added P2 props to the P1 and they were already in good balance. My P2 and the 550 did not need it. No jello and it sounds 'ok'.

OK... having said that, I have a good balancer and will not hesitate to balance them if that is a need. If a prop is waaayyy off, I can see counterbalancing the others with aluminum tape - the stuff is extremely sticky and would hold up ( I use it for another hobby that is somewhat exacting and it works great). Gorilla tape (kind of a super gaffer tape) is also very sticky and durable. However, I really doubt I would ever see a prop that far out of balance - I've got a dozen sets of different types and they are all very close. Just fine tuning with sandpaper should do the job for anything I have.

saltire · Mar 7, 2014

Not a member on here?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJTmkCH ... t_E5eRZ2YQ

ladykate · Mar 7, 2014

saltire said:
Not a member on here?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJTmkCH ... t_E5eRZ2YQ

Looks like he knew he was going to lose it. Battery low? Quick to get it though. Bet he had a moment when he hit that cold water.

saltire · Mar 7, 2014

He said his gopro was ok so i presume it was in its waterproof case .

Sarguy · Mar 7, 2014

The Graupners I use come pretty well balanced, but if I have to take off any material, then I sand it from the trailing edge near the prop tip. Also, I've found it's important to balance the hubs. I've heard the Gemfan copies of the e-props are fairly well balanced. I've had major headaches trying to balance Maytech props, and have had to throw some in the trash because they simply would not balance without dramatically changing the prop dynamic.

ladykate · Mar 8, 2014

OK... this one has me confused and it probably shouldn't but I can be dense...

I am using a 8fGHS (but I doubt that has anything to do with it). When I turn it off, the airframe doesn't Failsafe even though Failsafe is selected in NAZA. I've since reprogrammed one of the switches so I can select Failsafe but that hardly fixes the problem. If I lose connection to the airframe, I want it to come back. Any ideas?

OI Photography · Mar 8, 2014

ladykate said:
OK... this one has me confused and it probably shouldn't but I can be dense...

I am using a 8fGHS (but I doubt that has anything to do with it). When I turn it off, the airframe doesn't Failsafe even though Failsafe is selected in NAZA. I've since reprogrammed one of the switches so I can select Failsafe but that hardly fixes the problem. If I lose connection to the airframe, I want it to come back. Any ideas?

With the aftermarket receiver I'm using (non-Futaba), the receiver has its own failsafe that has to be set. The default behavior is for it to continue to output whatever the last signal received was, so until I changed that the NAZA wouldn't know the receiver lost signal. Dunno if it's the same with your Futaba but might be, at least as far as having to set it up.

ladykate · Mar 8, 2014

OI Photography said:
With the aftermarket receiver I'm using (non-Futaba), the receiver has its own failsafe that has to be set. The default behavior is for it to continue to output whatever the last signal received was, so until I changed that the NAZA wouldn't know the receiver lost signal. Dunno if it's the same with your Futaba but might be, at least as far as having to set it up.

Well... at least it is somewhere to look. That is pretty strange, though. My receiver doesn't have an obvious way to configure that part. Does this mean I have to read the directions? ;-}

OI Photography · Mar 8, 2014

ladykate said:
Does this mean I have to read the directions? ;-}

Might need more than that even, the ones that mine has made sense if you already knew how to do it, but were confusing to newcomers.

ladykate · Mar 8, 2014

OI Photography said:
ladykate said:

Does this mean I have to read the directions? ;-}

Click to expand...

Might need more than that even, the ones that mine has made sense if you already knew how to do it, but were confusing to newcomers.

I put the question over on the 8fghs thread.

The options for me are HOLD and Failsafe. HOLD holds the last position selected before loss of signal (which was what I was experiencing). Failsafe moves the controls to a predetermined position. After some experimentation, it appears that 0% is a good move. The throttle at 0 is actually 50% (I think). Weird. Still don't know if this is right - must assume that the NAZA can now command stuff - but I can try it out tomorrow (unless someone tells me it self-destructs in these positions).

If anyone finds a 550 wandering over Iowa, let me know.

OI Photography · Mar 8, 2014

ladykate said:
The options for me are HOLD and Failsafe. HOLD holds the last position selected before loss of signal (which was what I was experiencing). Failsafe moves the controls to a predetermined position.

Ditto for mine. I use the failsafe option, and the "predetermined position" I set it to is neutral stick + S1 in failsafe. That way, if control is lost, the effect is the same thing as me doing it with the switch.

ladykate · Mar 8, 2014

OI Photography said:
ladykate said:

The options for me are HOLD and Failsafe. HOLD holds the last position selected before loss of signal (which was what I was experiencing). Failsafe moves the controls to a predetermined position.

Click to expand...

Ditto for mine. I use the failsafe option, and the "predetermined position" I set it to is neutral stick + S1 in failsafe. That way, if control is lost, the effect is the same thing as me doing it with the switch.

I don't think I have the option of adding in a switch position. Will check it out. Hope the stupid thing will let NAZA guide it.

OI Photography · Mar 8, 2014

ladykate said:
I don't think I have the option of adding in a switch position. Will check it out. Hope the stupid thing will let NAZA guide it.

Interesting. The way mine works is that I just set all controls (switches included) to the state I want them in, and then press the f/s button on the Rx for it to remember that configuration.

ladykate · Mar 9, 2014

OK. I think I figured it out. Wasn't simple at all. There is a video that saved me. http://www.sarawuth.com/2012/06/setup-f ... -nazawk-m/ This is for NAZA- M but works on V2. It also works with or without the S-Bus being used (the video was unsure about that).

You go in and change channel 7 (Futaba NAZA S1 channel) to 45% end point. It is normally 100% (change only the first column) This drives the Failsafe feature in the NAZA. You then go into linkage/Failsafe area and change the HOLD to F/S on channel 7 and then hold the return button down on the percentage block for 1 second. The radio then takes its cue from the end point and sets the 'go to preset' feature to 45%. You then go back and reset the end point to 100%.

In the NAZA assistant you can see if you were successful by turning off the radio - it should drop into failsafe.

Jeez...

OI Photography · Mar 9, 2014

ladykate said:
OK. I think I figured it out. Wasn't simple at all. There is a video that saved me. http://www.sarawuth.com/2012/06/setup-f ... -nazawk-m/ This is for NAZA- M but works on V2. It also works with or without the S-Bus being used (the video was unsure about that).

You go in and change channel 7 (Futaba NAZA S1 channel) to 45% end point. It is normally 100% (change only the first column) This drives the Failsafe feature in the NAZA. You then go into linkage/Failsafe area and change the HOLD to F/S on channel 7 and then hold the return button down on the percentage block for 1 second. The radio then takes its cue from the end point and sets the 'go to preset' feature to 45%. You then go back and reset the end point to 100%.

In the NAZA assistant you can see if you were successful by turning off the radio - it should drop into failsafe.

Jeez...

Wow lol. That's pretty, uh, involved! Same logic in the end (save some specified config as the "failsafe state"), but you had to go through a lot more button-pushing to get there.

Glad you got it working though! I know what a sigh of relief it is the first time you test that on the bench and the yellow light starts to flash rapidly as intended

ladykate · Mar 9, 2014

Gotta share this one.

Was proofing the Failsafe that I talked about a couple posts ago. Worked like a champ.

Decided to just burn up some batteries and fly around. It was windy down where I was but not bad. Put it up to 600 meters and it was pretty bad - as in 30 degree bank to maintain location.

The aircraft started jumping around a bit so I brought it back down. When I got within earshot of the motors, I detected a really bad sound. I thought I had smoked a motor so I brought it in.

Apparently the wind had shaken loose the battery and it slid over and out. The closest propeller started hitting it and chewing it up. Here is the result:

Velcro the battery itself with sticky Velcro. Or.. change to 4s and do the same... or...??

Oh... and change the prop - it is now shorter than the others. :lol:

I left the battery outside - it stayed warm for over half an hour...

OI Photography · Mar 9, 2014

:shock:

Another few seconds there and it would have been a very pyrotechnic "landing"

FYI, I've never liked the battery straps with the full plastic buckle like the ones helipal/storm supply. These are the ones I'm using and have been very happy with: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor ... duct=37782

ladykate · Mar 9, 2014

I actually cinched the battery down before it left. I've been doing that ever since a battery almost slid out when I was doing a compass dance.

It was secure when it left the pad. It was pretty rough up there (couldn't get clear video no matter where the camera was - the airplane was bouncing around too much and either the gear or the props would get in the scene). I blame it on the rough ride but I definitely can't let this stand.

Anyone see anything wrong with putting Velcro on the battery and the frame? Either that or I get a battery tray and zip them in somehow. Need a more positive lock than what I have.

Nicely, I was getting telemetry all over the place - out to 500+ Up to 600+ Used stock whips and one Skew Planar from Circular wireless on the DIversity. I was feeling brave because Failsafe was working so well.

Imagine my moment when it started acting weird right over the Missouri river.

OI Photography · Mar 9, 2014

ladykate said:
Anyone see anything wrong with putting Velcro on the battery and the frame? Either that or I get a battery tray and zip them in somehow. Need a more positive lock than what I have.

I think that's what DJI had in mind, the retail kit for just the stock F550 frame comes with one strap and a strip of Velcro that I presume are for that exact purpose.

Most of the time I fly my 550 with the battery in the "cage" created by the frame on the back of the landing gear and 3 Velcro straps. When I do fly with one on the top instead I use two straps and I've never had any shifting (thank goodness!). I have thought about making a small bumper at the top base of both side arms, so if a batt up there did start sliding it wouldn't get any further than that.

FangsCPO · Mar 10, 2014

The problem is that the lipos have a very smooth surface so they will slide out....eventually. I've added a strip of Velcro (the rough piece) to the lipo and that piece produces a rough surface that comes in contact with the non-slip tape that was placed on top of the F550 top panel. I don't care what anyone says, none of my lipos are going to slip out of the two velcro straps in-fight. Now watch.....I've just jinxed myself. LOL!!!